Piani Del Cielo
by cumulos
Summary: "You shouldn't get too wrapped up with that boy, you know." "I won't." "You sure about that?" The aftermath of a heart-wrenching mission taken upon the Survey Corps leaves the Lance Corporal wondering if his relationship with Eren is as black and white as it was originally intended to be.
1. Prologue

Piani Del Cielo

Prologue

"You shouldn't get too wrapped up with that boy, you know."

"I won't."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah."

"Because you might have to _disable_ him someday, you know."

"Don't speak with such negativity. It doesn't suit you, Erwin."

"It's not negativity, it's the truth. You never know."

Lance Corporal Levi crossed his legs and took a slow sip out of his coffee cup. It was unusual to see Erwin so concerned. The usually confident, headstrong captain looked upon his comrade with utmost discomfort, his face appearing pale and discolored in the dim lighting of the room. "And why, may I ask, are you expressing such concern over the matter that I am to keep watch of Eren Jaeger?" Irvin noticed the shadows on Levi's face change as his nose crinkled and his eyebrows knit together. A common expression of the corporal. He'd seen it many times.

Erwin sighed, leaning back against the wall. "I'm concerned because I don't want you getting too close to this boy, Levi. I trust in you, but keep in mind, you will have to be the one to take him out should the need ever arise. You have the ability, sure, but do you have the heart?"

Levi was growing agitated now. "I was able to prove my worth in the courts, no? Do you really think that that situation has changed in such a short time?"

"But a lot has changed since then, Levi."

The fact that Erwin was so doubtful drove Levi up a wall. The duo had been through a lot, they'd earned each other's trust, but because some new kid arrived on the scene and a few more of his comrades would never return home his _emotions_ were suddenly expected to go haywire? Bullshit. Levi wouldn't stand for such.

Erwin looked at Levi with heavy eyes. It was obvious this confrontation was going nowhere, so he assumed it was best to trust Levi's judgment. He had allowed him to watch over the kid in the first place, right? "Right, then. I suppose I'll just have to let you deal with this in your own ways. Even I cannot fathom your innermost feelings. But Levi, I warn you now, as a friend. Should anything appear out of the ordinary, I will have Eren Jaeger revoked from your watching." Levi gave a distant look and nodded; as if he would let his feelings get the better of him. After watching countless team members die on the battlefield, Levi knew how to keep his grievances to himself. A new kid wouldn't change that, just because he was dubbed as _unique_. The way most saw it, the entire damn Survey Corps was _unique_. Now they just had another addition.

As Irvin turned to depart, Levi decided he had one last thing to say. "Hey, you know you sort of seem jealous, with that kid hanging around me." At this, Irvin stifled a laugh. "Whatever you say, Levi," he replied.

"Whatever you say."


	2. Stratocumulus

Stratocumulus

"Pick up the pace, Jaeger."

"I'm trying as hard as I can, sir!"

"Obviously not hard enough."

The wind speed was increasing at a rapid pace now, keeping Survey Corps member Eren Jaeger from maneuvering properly in midair. Corporal Levi had said that just because Eren had given humanity a glimpse of hope with his newly discovered titan abilities it didn't mean that he should forget his basic training. _There may be a time when you will not be able to transform_, Levi had said, _and if and when that time comes, you need to be able to fight with your gear, with your mind, and with your body._

Eren had told the Corporal that he would never forget how to use his gear, and that he was in good physical shape, but to the Corporal that wasn't enough. "If you put off training for too long, you will panic in battle. You will lose trust in yourself, in your comrades. You start questioning your own abilities and, within minutes, you get yourself killed." Eren flinched when the Corporal gave him a rather hard pat on the back. If you didn't know the Corporal well enough, this could be seen as threatening.

Eren didn't know the Corporal that well.

"So I expect to see you outside every morning Jaeger. I watch, you train. That's an order," Levi had said. Not willing to strike a raw nerve, Eren replied with a squeaky, "Yes, sir," and a salute.

And then Levi was off.

Eren almost sighed with relief before the Corporal made a sharp turn on his heels and faced the opposite way, as if he had reminded himself something. "Before I go, kid, lemme tell you this," he began. "I don't ask a whole lot of you, now do I? No. So when I tell you to do something around here, I expect you to comply. That means you are to give me your attention and obedience. Do you comprehend what I'm saying, kid?"

For an unexpected turn in conversation, that was a bit much to take in. However, Eren wasn't really looking for a split lip, so he told the Corporal that he had his understanding entirely. "Good," Levi said. "And by the way, I'm not looking for an opportunity to scar you, so you don't have to piss your pants every time I'm within spitting distance."

Eren's ears burned.

Then, the Corporal was gone, strolling off as if the conversation they just shared was nothing but thin air.

Sure enough, when Eren complied with the Corporal's commands the next morning, Levi was there on the field already waiting. It seemed as though he'd been there a while, by the look of it, but then again the Corporal pretty much always had the same expression and stature so that wasn't saying much.

"Late," Levi had called. So he had been there a while. Eren picked up his pace and jogged forward. "Sorry, sir, you hadn't given me a precise time to be here, so I just went with my instincts-"

"Well they weren't being very intuitive, so I suppose you'll have to work on those as well."

"... Sir?"

"Whatever. Now, Jaeger,"

"Sir?"

"_Sir,_ is that all you know how to say? Damn, kid, you're acting like I'm torturing you. Don't be so stiff, it's not good for battle. Go hook on to that wall, over there."

"Yes, sir!"

"You're doing it again."

"Sorry, sir."

"Get _going_, Jaeger!"

And Eren was off. They'd trained for hours after that. Soon enough the morning sun, which was previously shining its rays down upon the two Survey Corps, hid behind the early afternoon clouds. The winds decided to dance along in the ever inevitable play of nature, and soon the sky gave signs of impending rain. The weather made it much harder for Eren to train, as the wind would sometimes blow him off course while he touched the heavens with his 3D maneuver gear. Albeit the storm clouds and disappearance of sunshine, Levi was determined to have Eren train. When Eren suggested they go indoors, Levi offered a proposal. "If you can conquer those winds before it rains, then we go inside and eat. If you can't, you stay out here as long as it takes for you to master the technique and I go inside and watch you flop about like a fish out of water."

Before reaching his target, Eren looked the Corporal in the eyes. He meant business. Left with no other option, Eren accepted the proposal and continued to fly about using his maneuver gear, going from one wall to the next. Many times he had been blown off track, and in battle, that could mean death. On occasion, the Corporal would provide him with either useful advice or sarcastic remarks. Sometimes it was both. "Move your legs to go against the wind, it'll keep you on course- No, no, not like that, you look like you're gonna take a shit in midair. Disgusting." Either way, it appeared as though the clouds could not hold out any longer, and one by one, rain dripped down from the sky.

The Corporal, feeling oddly sympathetic (not that he would admit it), offered to take Eren inside, stating that they would continue later after they had eaten. Eren, however, thought otherwise. Much too into his training, he turned down the offer and continued. Expecting as much, Levi turned on his heels and began walking back towards their base. "What a troublesome kid," he said, loud enough only so that he himself may hear.

Through the heavily increasing amount of rain and wind, Eren finally mastered the technique and could now control his motions albeit the weather's adversities. He was tired, he was hungry, he was aching, but most of all, Eren was happy. His chance of survival now had improved, even if it was just by a little bit. And a little bit was all that mattered. Swooping down from his perch upon one of the walls, Eren landed in the pit of mud that was solid ground on which he stood upon only hours earlier. Without thinking, Eren fell to his knees, laughing while the mud splattered all over his clothing. He would hear it from Corporal, sure, but what did that matter now? He had done what he needed to do, and he hadn't had a good laugh in a long time. _Perhaps_, Eren thought, _this means good times are coming_?

But unfortunately, most good times, especially among soldiers, were short-lived. And as Eren sat there, pondering, his mind never ventured to guess that the entire time, a pair of eyes had been watching him battle and victoriously win against nature's elements.


	3. Nimbostratus

Nimbostratus

"He's been out there for a while, huh?" A voice chirped. Levi, peering outside from a window, turned to find Hange right at his heels. "Must you be so annoying?" He queried as he tried to wave her off. Hange laughed and moved next to him. "That hurt, Corporal! And here I thought I was one of your trustworthy squad members! You know, we aught to change our name squad name. What do you think of _The Dream Team_?"

"Damn glasses, what do you need me for? I know it sure as fuck isn't about a shitty team name."

Hange's smile began to tone down as she looked out of the window, watching Eren proudly coat himself in mud. "You've been awfully nice to him," she said. "I know if it were anyone else you wouldn't stand here and watch them like that. You wanna protect him, doncha?"

"Of course I do," Levi snapped, "He's an important ally for humanity. Not to mention it's my orders."

"That's not what I mean."

Levi turned, grey orbs staring daggers that were so intense they it might even be enough to make the devil shudder. "Then why don't you tell me what you mean?"

Of course, Hange wouldn't go so far as to do that. No, that would ruin the fun. Instead, she darted off laughing, only to come back around the corner to remind Levi that, "the kid's seen true terror before. Just remember that."

"Freak," Levi mumbled to himself before turning to face the window yet again. It had been a good while since Eren had finished his training for the day, and Levi figured he might as well go collect the poor kid and bring him back inside. Without touching him, naturally. Might as well give him a gentle kick to the side.

After all, he was filthy.


	4. Planning

A mission was assigned to the Survey Corps the next day. Suddenly yesterday's training seemed almost fruitless, because the muscles in Eren's body were still sore and aching. The Survey Corps was called to a meeting during the early morning hours, and Eren was stirred awake by none other than the Corporal, who thought it would be a wise idea to enter his basement home, unchain the boy, and lightly kick him awake. Stunned, Eren fell off of the side of the bed. "Good morning," Levi said in his perfectly irritating monotone voice. Eren rubbed the back of his head, squeezing his eyes closed multiple times until his vision came back into focus. Marine colored eyes scanned the cell for signs of his intruder, and glued to Levi as he walked over and kneeled behind the boy. "We have a meeting in approximately fifteen minutes. I suggest you move quickly," he said, then getting up and making his way back upstairs.

_Fifteen minutes?_ Was this a joke? How could the most renowned clean freak in the entire Survey Corps only give him _fifteen minutes_ to prepare for a meeting, after just being so rudely awoken? Whatever. By laying on the floor looking off into space, he was only wasting more time. After clinging onto his mattress for support, Eren got up and threw on his uniform. Five minutes left. Surely the Corporal would kill him if he didn't look presentable so he washed his mouth out quickly and used his fingers to comb out his hair. He stumbled out of his cramped bathroom while finishing buttoning up his uniform blouse. Making his way up the stairs, Eren noticed that this meeting was called particularly early, as it seemed the sun was only beginning to rise.

Five. Four. Three. Two.

"Late."

Of course.

To the others, Eren was on time; early, even. But to Levi, he was as late as ever. "You've got to finish taking your shits faster, Jaeger," was his greeting. Eren arched a brow. "In my defense, sir, you woke me up without warning, and with only fifteen minutes to spare."

Levi glared. "And is it my problem you can't get your ass into gear when I tell you to?"

"… No, sir."

"Precisely. Now sit the hell down before you collapse, you have bags under your eyes and they sure as fuck aren't fashionable."

Doing as he was told, Eren grabbed the chair farthest from the door. He scooted over to the table, leaning on it with his elbows. It appeared Commander Erwin would be joining them that morning, and as he was absent, Eren figured it must have meant he was still on his way. It didn't take long before Eren began to nod off, eyelids drooping as he heard the faint whispers of the other crewmembers, some sounding more concerned than others. The last mission hadn't gone so well. Many valuable members of the Survey Corps had been lost. However, the power of deviant type titan that had lead them to their dooms was unexpected, to say the least. Should anything of the sort happen again, most assumed that Commander Erwin would have a backup plan.

Just as Eren began to drift away from consciousness, a loud bang ruptured through their small meeting area. The door had flung open, hitting the wall and making an unsavory sound ricochet between the table, chairs, and tea cups. The culprit was none other than Hange, who sauntered in proudly and announced that the Commander had just led his horse to the stables and was making his way through the halls as she spoke. No sooner than that, Erwin had arrived followed by no more than a few guards. He was greeted with a salute from each soldier aside from Levi. Instead, Levi sat with his legs crossed, taking a sip out of the cleanest piece of fine china that Eren had ever seen. His dark eyes didn't even so much as shift their gaze when Erwin made his grand entrance. "That took you a bit"

Erwin stepped into the room and spread a map out on the table. "Sorry for the wait," he said, giving a quick glance to Levi in the process. "But I suppose we should get right into this."

The crew gathered around the table, each itching with the desire to know their assignment as Erwin went over the mission objective. The objective, Erwin said, was to find a safe route leading from Karanes around to Shiganshina. "That's _all,_" Erwin secured, as the last mission that had been assigned had the exact same objective with an extra hidden motive that was hidden from most of the other soldiers, many of whom lost their lives due to the lack of information. Eren scanned the faces of the others present. Many looked skeptical. Their eyes appeared dim, soulless, dreary, tired; obviously these soldiers had lost many of their own friends during the last venture beyond the walls, although Eren was positive that was not the first time they'd witnessed the wrath of the titans. These were survivors, after all. But still, after being so confident in the Commander before, how would he be able to regain their trust?

Eren's thought was cut short when Erwin announced that there was a small shortcoming in their planning agreements. "I'm afraid we'll have to make due with what we have," he said, "and thus, the Survey Corps has only been given a matter of two weeks at most to prepare for this expedition."

A sudden silence cut like knives through the atmosphere of the meeting room. "_Two weeks,_" A whisper emerged. "_We can barely get prepared in a month! Are they just trying to kill us all off?!_"

Eren's eyes grew wide, mouth agape as he turned towards the Commander. Calm and collected, as usual. How could he look so worry-free at a time like this?! The number of participating Survey Corps members wasn't that high to begin with. Didn't he care about his fellow men in arms?

Seeking consolation, Eren turned to Corporal Levi. The expression on his pale, almost porcelain face had not changed, but Eren supposed that wasn't saying much. He looked about as calm as the Commander had, maybe even more so.

Erwin began to speak up again.

"I notice many of you lack your usual enthusiasm."

Erwin stood suddenly, knocking his chair back in the process. He slammed his fist down on the table, causing a loud _bang_ to rupture the silence. If anyone was asleep, Eren was sure as hell they were awake now.

"_Listen up_," Erwin said with a snarl. Was this really the gentle-mannered man who had accepted Eren into the Survey Corps only months prior?

"This could be our _last_ _chance_ to prove our worth. I'd be damned if they haven't considered cutting our funds, and that's the last thing we'd need. You," he pointed his finger to the group crowded around him, "Are official members of the Survey Corps. You are _survivors_. You've spat in the face of death one hundred times over. _You know how to deal with this_. And you know you have faith in yourselves. I highly doubt you would have signed up for this otherwise."

Erwin stood his chair back on its legs and regained his composure. "You all are to gather as much supplies as you can. I expect to be met with proper preparations when I return in two weeks."

Erwin nodded at the two soldiers standing by the door, signaling them to open it. His demand was met, and after the bulky door opened with a creek, both Erwin and his men vanished.

They weren't kidding when they called him a ruthless commander.

One by one, the other soldiers filed out of the room in silence, either heading back to their dorms or escaping for some fresh air outside.

But Levi stayed put.

Eren figured he should stick around as well. The Corporal looked quite lonely , sitting there in the dull candlelight and all.

"E-Ehm," Eren tried to begin a conversation. The prior events had left the room with a stiflingly awkward atmosphere.

Levi sighed, stood up, and left.

Eren backtracked. He'd barely spoken a word! If one could even call it that. Was the Corporal angry with him?

"Corporal Levi, sir?"

Levi turned. "What."

Blunt.

"Is anything the matter, sir?"

"Why would you think that."

Eren could feel beads of sweat forming at his temples, either from nerves or frustration. "Well, sir, I barely said anything and you just got up and left."

Levi blinked, long and slow. His entire demeanor bled sarcasm. "It's got nothing to do with you, Eren," he said before resuming his way down the hall.

"Wait up, then!" Eren called, jogging to the front of the Corporal, standing in front of him to block his path. Levi looked up at him, his glare cold as ice, piercing Eren right through the chest.

"_What,_" hissed the shorter man.

Eren swallowed and continued. "Well, it's just… do you really think the Commander knows what he's doing, accepting a new mission this soon? I mean, we lost so many members last time, sir," Eren's eyes cooled and saddened as a pang of emotional pain clung to his stomach. The memories of his dead team members clouded his mind.

Levi scoffed and walked around the boy. "Have faith in the Commander. He wouldn't be in that position if he was that much of an idiot," he said.

"Sir," Eren began seething again. The Corporal cared about his men, didn't he? How could he remain so nonchalant, even after all that had happened? "I'd hate to break it to you sir, but you told me to have faith last time, too."

Eren clasped his hand to his mouth almost as soon as the words poured out of it. He noticed the Corporal visibly twitch and stiffen up before he turned to face Eren again. "Excuse me?" Levi said. Those two words alone were as harsh and as sharp as taking a hit from a sword.

"Wait, sir, I didn't mean it like that, you know I didn't," Eren stammered, mouth moving a mile a minute, thoughts flooding his head sooner than he could stop and assess the situation. He covered his head, expecting the impact of Levi's boot to knock him senseless.

But the blow never came.

Eren lifted his head up, eyes widening at what he saw. Though his facial features appeared remotely the same, the Corporal looked visibly hurt. It wasn't the way his mouth had assumed an angry scowl, no, it was his eyes. Something gleamed in them that he had never seen before.

It was sadness.

Levi cocked his head, only in the slightest of ways. "You know," he said, "They'd be rolling in their graves if they heard you say that."

Eren hung his head and tried to form an apology, but he just couldn't pull the words together. The Corporal was gone before he could even look up.

_You really fucked up this time,_ Eren thought, _you really fucked up._


End file.
